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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · spell · charge · ground · cabinet · wound · mine · spring

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. spell — magic
  7. ground — the earth
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — a price
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — a position
  14. spring — of water
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spring — the season
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — in control
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com